Pickup tongs

ABSTRACT

A pair of pickup tongs comprises a pair of tubular arms loosely pivoted to one another adjacent their uppermost ends and having telescopically arranged lower end portions carrying opposed blades. Spring means and interconnecting levers positioned between the tubular arms normally urged the same apart. Guide means are provided for restricting the motion of the tubular arms with respect to one another and maintaining them in opposed relation.

United States Patent [151 3, Bixler [451 Sept. 19, 1972 [54] PICKUP TONGS 2,348,741 5/1944 Jessen ..294/1l5 72 Inventor: George F Bixler, 2 Fimley Ave. 1,412,201 4/1922 Westerhaus ..294/99 Youngstown, Ohio 44511 Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry Attomey-Webster B. Harpman [57] ABSTRACT A pair of pickup tongs comprises a pair of tubular arms loosely pivoted to one another adjacent their uppermost ends and having telescopically arranged lower end portions carrying opposed blades. Spring means and interconnecting levers positioned between the tubular arms normally urged the same apart. Guide means are provided for restricting the motion of the tubular arms with respect to one another and maintaining them in opposed relation.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PKTENTEDSEHQM I v 3,692,347

25 26 I INVENTOR.

GEORGE F. BIXLER FIG. 4

ATTORN Y PICKUP TONGS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to pickup tongs such as may be used by workmen in picking up various articles.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior structures of this type include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 211,855 and 2,191,858. In a different art, U.S. Pat. No. 2,348,741 discloses pivoted arms with interconnecting levers for a substantially different purpose. None of the prior art structures provide a simple lightweight pickup tongs which a workman can use with a minimum of effort in picking up articles including trash such as paper, cans, and similar items for removal from an indicated area. The present invention eliminates the problems found in the prior art structures and provides an easier quicker means of conveniently picking up various articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A pickup tongs comprising a pair of tubular arms pivoted to one another adjacent their uppermost ends and provided with interconnecting levers and a spring for normally urging the tubular arms apart is disclosed wherein the lower ends of the tubular members are provided with telescopically engaged extensions on which relatively high and wide blades are mounted. The

' blades are curved on their vertical axis. Guide means affixed to one of the tubular arms extend in engaging relation past the other of the tubular arms in spaced relation so that the other of the tubular arms is movable relatively thereto and guided thereby. The telescopic lower end sections of the tubular arms make the device adaptable to various individuals who will use the same and make stooping and bending unnecessary in using the pickup tongs in picking up various articles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the pickup tongs with broken lines indicating a maximum extended position of one of the tong members.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the pickup tongs.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional elevation on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross section on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In its simplest form the pickup tongs of this invention is comprised of a pair of tubular arms and 11 which are loosely pivoted to one another adjacent their uppermost ends by means of a pivot member 12. The upper ends of the tubular arms 10 and 11 are spaced with respect to one another by a coil spring 13 which is positioned around the pivot member 12 and engaged against the inner opposed portions of the tubular arms 10 and 11. The lower ends of the tubular arms 10 and 11 are provided with telescopic tubular extensions 14 and 15 respectively which are adjustably positioned on the tubular members 10 and II and provided with set screws 16 and 17 by which they can be locked in desired position.

Rectangular curved blades 18 and 19 are affixed to brackets 20 and 21 which, in turn, are secured to the lower ends of the telescopic tubular extensions 14 and 15 by fasteners 22.

The lower longitudinal edges of the curved blades 18 and 19 are serrated as at 23. The uppermost portions of the tubular arms 10 and 11 are provided with tubular sheaths 24 which provide suitable gripping surfaces and immediately therebelow a pair of interconnecting levers 25 and 26 pivoted to one another at 27 and to the tubular armsl0 and 11 by pivots 28 and 29 are arranged so that a secondary coil spring 30 may be secured to the pivot 27 between the inner ends of the levers 25 and 26 and to the pivot member 12 heretofore referred to. The secondary spring 30 normally urges the levers 25 and 26 upwardly thus, causing the tubular arms 10 and 11 to be urged apart. A workman holding the tongs thus exerts pressure on the sheaths 24 to move the tubular arms 10 and 11 and the blades 18 and 19 toward one another and the secondary spring 30 will immediately move them apart without further effort on the workmans part when he so desires. The pivoted levers 25 and 26 may also be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings and by referring to FIG. 4 it will be observed that there are a pair of spaced levers 25 and a pair of spaced levers 26 and that the pairs of pivoted levers 25 and 26 are spaced with respect to one another by the tubular arms 10 and 1 1.

In FIG. 3 of the drawings and in enlarged detail of the pivotal engagement of the tubular arms 10 and 11 may be seen together with the coil spring 30 positioned around the pivot member 12. Pivoting action with respect to the pivoted member 12 is hinge like.

By referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings it will be seen that a pair of spaced guide plates 31 and 32 are affixed at one of their ends to the tubular arm 10 and that they extend in slidably engaging relation on either side of the tubular arm 11 and to a point outwardly therefrom where interconnecting fasteners 33 act as motion limiting means with respect to the tubular arm 11. The spaced guide members 31 and 32 thus limit the degree in which the tubular arms 10 and 11 may be moved away from one another and more importantly they maintain the tubular arms 10 and 11 in opposed relation due to their relatively wide area contact with these members.

It will thus be seen that a practical and efficient pickup tongs has been disclosed which can be formed of lightweight aluminum stock, for example, the tongs being readily adjustable to the desired or preferred height of operation of a workman and so arranged that various pickup jobs are easily performed with a minimum of effort.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim is:

l. A pickup tongs consisting of a pair of tubular arms loosely pivoted to one another adjacent their uppermost ends and having longitudinal extensions telescopically engaged on their lowermost ends and blades secured transversely to said longitudinal extensions in oppositely disposed relation, pivoted links interconnecting said tubular arms and a spring normally urging said links in a direction to move said tubular arms apart wherein the upper most ends of said tubular arms are engaged on an elongated pivot member and a coil spring is positioned over said pivot member and spaces 5 said tubular arms.

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1. A pickup tongs consisting of a pair of tubular arms loosely pivoted to one another adjacent their uppermost ends and having longitudinal extensions telescopically engaged on their lowermost ends and blades secured transversely to said longitudinal extensions in oppositely disposed relation, pivoted links interconnecting said tubular arms and a spring normally urging said links in a direction to move said tubular arms apart wherein the upper most ends of said tubular arms are engaged on an elongated pivot member and a coil spring is positioned over said pivot member and spaces said tubular arms. 